Women’s Representation in Nebraska
Parity Ranking: 27th of 50
Levels of Government
Score of 16: Six points for Sen. Deb Fischer, 6
Statewide Executives
points for the percentage of state legislative
seats held by women, and 4 points for Mayor
Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Mayor Jean
Stothert of Omaha.
Quick Fact
When Deb Fischer defeated former Senator Bob
Kerrey in 2012, she became the first woman
elected to the U.S. Senate in Nebraska’s history.
Trending
In the last 20 years, Nebraska has had between
9 and 13 women in its state legislature out of 49
available seats. The state currently has the same
percentage of women it had in 1993.
% Nebraska Legislature Women
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Female governors: Kay A. Orr (1987-1991)
Current female statewide elected executives: 0 of
6. An additional 1 of 5 public service
commissioners.
Number of women to have held statewide elected
executive office: 7, two of whom were initially
appointed to fill vacancies. An additional woman
is currently serving as a public service
commissioner.
Congress
U.S. Senate: 1 of 2 seats is held by a woman: Deb
Fischer, (2013-present)
U.S. House: 0 of 3 seats held by women
Nebraska has elected only three women to the
Congress, one in a special election.
State Legislature
Percentage women: 20.4%
NE
USA
Rankings: 35th of 50
Legislature: 10 of 49 (20.4%) are women.
(Nebraska’s legislature is unicameral.)
Method of election: single-member districts
Source: Center for American Women and Politics,
Rutgers University.
Elections to Watch
There will be an open seat for U.S. Senate in
2014, presenting an opportunity for a second
woman to join Deb Fischer in Nebraska’s Senate
delegation. There also is an open governor’s race,
and one woman, state Sen. Annette Dubas (D),
has already declared her candidacy. Republican
men are heavily favored to win both races. The
only potentially vulnerable U.S. House
incumbent, Lee Terry (R), won re-election by
1.6% in 2012, but no woman has declared
against him for 2014.
Local
Two of Nebraska’s five largest cities with elected
mayors has a female mayor: Omaha and
Bellevue.
Words of Wisdom
“We want everyone to know that real women
run. And real women need to run.” – Kathie
Uhrmacher, president of the Women’s
Foundation of Lincoln and Lancaster County
State legislative data and historical information at all levels from the
Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.
Representation2020.com